Sheet material with bend controlling displacements and method for forming the same

• US 20040206152A1
• Filed: 03/03/2004
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Origami, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Industrial Origami, LLC.
• Inventors: Arnold, Phillip M., Durney, Max W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,152,450 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 72/379.2
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 11/20 Bending sheet metal, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 28/10 Incompletely punching in such a manner that the parts are still coherent with the work
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 35/00 Combined processes according to or processes combined with methods covered by groups B21D1/00 - B21D31/00 B21D21/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 5/00 Bending sheet metal along straight lines, e.g. to form simple curves B21D11/06 - B21D11/18 take precedence; corrugating sheet metal B21D13/00; as edge treatment B21D19/00
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: E04C 2/08 of metal, e.g. sheet metal E04C2/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/04 Metal casings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49 Method of mechanical manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49982 Coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24479 including variation in thickness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/02 Other than completely through work thickness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/04 Processes

Abstract

A method of preparing a sheet of material for bending along a bend line comprising the step of forming of at least one displacement in the thickness direction of the sheet of material with a portion of the periphery of the displacement closest to the bend line providing an edge and opposed face configured in position to produce edge-to-face engagement of the sheet on opposite sides of the periphery during bending. The forming step is preferably accomplished using one of a stamping process, a punching process, a roll-forming process and an embossing process. A sheet of material suitable for bending using the process also is disclosed, as are the use of coatings, shin guards and displacing the area of the sheet between bending inducing slits.

Claims

1. A method of preparing a sheet of material for bending along a bend line comprising the step of:

forming at least one displacement in the thickness direction of the sheet of material with a portion of the periphery of the displacement closest to the bend line providing an edge and an opposed face configured and positioned to produce edge-to-face engagement of the sheet of material during bending.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein,

the forming step shears the sheet of material partially through its thickness dimension along the portion of the periphery.

3. The method as defined in claim 2 wherein,

the forming step shears the sheet of material sufficiently through the thickness dimension along the portion of the periphery to produce fracturing through the entire thickness dimension of the sheet of material upon bending.

4. The method as defined in claim 2 wherein,

the forming step shears the sheet of material entirely through the thickness dimension along the portion of the periphery.

5. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein,

the forming step plastically deforms the sheet of material to provide an edge and an opposed face configured so as not to fracture through the thickness dimension upon bending of the sheet material.

6. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein,

the forming step is accomplished using one of a stamping process, a punching process, a roll forming process, a shearing knife-based and an embossing process.

7. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein,

during the forming step, forming a plurality of displacements in the sheet of material along the bend line with each displacement having a periphery portion proximate the bend line to provide a plurality of edges and opposed faces for edge-to-face bending of the sheet of material.

8. The method as defined in claim 7 wherein,

during the forming step, forming the plurality of displacements along the bend line with each displacement having the periphery portion substantially superimposed on the bend line.

9. The method as defined in claim 7 wherein,

during the forming step, forming a plurality of displacements in the sheet of material with the periphery portion of at least one displacement being positioned on each side of the bend line.

10. The method as defined in claim 9 wherein,

during the forming step, positioning the periphery portion of displacements on opposite side of the bend line at a jog distance from each other less than the thickness dimension of the sheet of material.

11. The method as defined in claim 10 wherein,

the jog distance is in the range of about −

0.5 to about +0.5 times the thickness dimension of the sheet of material.

12. The method as defined in claim 9 wherein,

during the forming step, forming the peripheral portions of displacements on opposite sides of the bend line to define bending straps oriented to extend obliquely across the bend line.

13. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein,

during the forming step, forming the displacement with a reinforcing rib extending in a direction opposed to the direction of the displacement.

14. The method as defined in claim 1, and the step of:

after the forming step, adhering a layer of coating material to the sheet of material across the portion of the periphery of the displacement.

15. The method as defined in claim 14 wherein,

the adhering step forms a continuous layer of flexible coating material.

16. The method as defined in claim 7 wherein,

during the forming step, shearing the portion of the periphery of each displacement at least partially through the thickness dimension of the sheet of material.

17. The method as defined in claim 7 wherein,

during the forming step, plastically deforming the periphery portion of each displacement without shearing through the sheet of material.

18. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein,

the displacement is a tongue extending from the sheet of material up to the portion of the periphery.

19. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein,

the displacement is an area longitudinally adjacent to the portion of the periphery.

20. A method of preparing a sheet of material for bending along a bend line comprising the steps of:

forming a plurality of load-supporting face structures extending longitudinally proximate the bend line;

forming a plurality of edge structures extending in positions opposed to the face structures; and

during the forming steps, forming the edge structures and the face structures to define a plurality of bending straps extending obliquely across the bend line.

21. The method as defined in claim 20 wherein,

the forming steps are accomplished by displacing the sheet of material in a thickness direction to produce the plurality of face structures and opposed edge structures.

22. The method as defined in claim 21 wherein,

the displacing step is accomplished using one of a stamping process, a punching process, a roll-forming process, a pressing process and an embossing process.

23. The method as defined in claim 20 wherein,

the forming steps are accomplished by forming the face structures and the opposed edge structures in positions and with configurations producing engagement of the edge structures with the face structures during bending of the sheet of material along the bend line.

24. The method as defined in claim 23 wherein,

the forming steps are accomplished by forming the face structures and the opposed edge structures to alternate on opposite sides of the bend line in positions having a jog distance across the bend line of between about −

0.5 to about +0.5 times the thickness of the sheet material.

25. A method of preparing a sheet of material for bending along a bend line comprising the steps of:

shearing the sheet of material at least partially through the thickness dimension of the sheet of material along a plurality of shear lines configured and positioned along the bend line to produce edge-to-face engagement of the sheet of material on opposite sides of the shear lines during bending.

26. The method as defined in claim 25 wherein,

the shearing step is accomplished using one of stamping dies, a knife, punching dies, embossing dies and roll-forming dies.

27. The method as defined in claim 25 wherein,

the shear lines are one of D-shaped and oval-shaped.

28. The method as defined in claim 25 wherein,

the shear lines are elongated along the bend line and extend substantially parallel to the bend line in a central portion and have end portions which curve away from the bend line.

29. A method of bending a sheet of material comprising the steps of:

forming a plurality of displacements in the thickness direction of the sheet of material with a portion of the periphery of each displacement closest to the bend line providing an edge and opposed face configured and positioned to produce edge-to-face engagement of the sheet of material on opposite sides of the portion of the periphery during bending; and

bending the sheet of material along the bend line.

30. The method as defined in claim 29 wherein,

the forming step is accomplished by using one of:

a stamping process, a roll-forming process, a punching process and an embossing process.

31. The method as defined in claim 29 wherein,

the forming step shears the portion of the periphery partially through the thickness dimension of the sheet of material;

and

the bending step fractures the portion of the periphery through the remainder of the thickness dimension of the sheet of material.

32. The method as defined in claim 29 wherein,

the forming step is accomplished by plastically deforming the sheet of material without shearing through the sheet of material;

and

the bending step is accomplished without fracturing the sheet of material.

33. The method as defined in claim 29 wherein,

during the bending step, the sheet of material is bent in the direction of the displacements.

34. The method as defined in claim 29 wherein,

during the bending step, the sheet of material is bent in a direction opposed to the direction of the displacements.

35. The method as defined in claim 29 wherein,

the bending step is accomplished by moving at least one of a die and a tool plate toward each other with the sheet of material mounted therebetween on the tool plate with the bend line superimposed over an edge of the tool plate.

36. The method as defined in claim 29 wherein,

the bending step is accomplished by moving at least one of a bladder and a tool plate toward each other with the sheet of material mounted therebetween on the tool plate with the bend line superimposed on an edge of the tool plate.

37. The method as defined in claim 29, and the step of:

after the bending step, securing a shin guard to the sheet material to extend across the bend line.

38. The method as defined in claim 29, and the step of:

depositing a continuous layer of coating material on at least one surface of the sheet of material across the displacements and the bend line after the bending step.

39. The method as defined in claim 29, and the step of:

depositing a continuous layer of flexible coating material on at least one surface sheet of material across the displacements and the bend line before the bending step.

40. The method as defined in claim 29 wherein,

the bending step is accomplished manually.

41. The method as defined in claim 29 wherein,

the bending step is accomplished using a press brake.

42. A method of bending a sheet of material comprising the steps of:

forming a plurality of shear lines along and proximate a bend line and positioned alternatively on opposite sides of the bend line to define a plurality of bending straps extending obliquely across the bend line; and

bending the sheet of material along the bend line.

43. The method as defined in claim 42 wherein,

the forming step is accomplished to configure and position the shear lines for edge-to-face engagement of an edge on one side of the shear lines with a face on the opposite side of the shear lines.

44. The method as defined in claim 42 wherein,

the shear lines extend through the thickness dimension of the sheet of material.

45. The method as defined in claim 42 wherein,

the shear lines extend only partially through the thickness dimension of the sheet of material.

46. A sheet of material suitable for bending along a bend line comprising:

a sheet of material having at least one displacement in a thickness direction of the sheet of material with a portion of the periphery of the displacement closest to the bend line providing an edge and an opposed face configured and positioned to produce edge-to-face engagement of the sheet of material on opposite sides of the portion of the periphery during bending.

47. The sheet of material as defined in claim 46 wherein,

the sheet of material is formed with a plurality of displacements positioned along the bend line.

48. The sheet of material as defined in claim 47 wherein,

alternating displacements are positioned longitudinally along and on opposite sides of the bend line to define bending straps between adjacent ends of displacements extending across the bend line.

49. The sheet of material as defined in claim 48 wherein,

the lateral jog distance between the portion of the periphery on opposite sides of the bend line is less than the thickness dimension of the sheet of material.

50. The sheet of material as defined in claim 49 wherein, the lateral jog distance is in the range of about −

0.5 to about +0.5 times the thickness dimension of the sheet of material.

51. The sheet of material as defined in claim 50 wherein,

the lateral jog distance is about zero and the portions of the periphery are substantially superimposed on the bend line.

52. The sheet of material as defined in claim 46 wherein,

the portion of the periphery of the displacement is sheared partially through the thickness dimension of the sheet of material.

53. The sheet of material as defined in claim 46 wherein,

the portion of the periphery of the displacement is sheared completely through the thickness dimension of the sheet of material.

54. The sheet of material as defined in claim 46 wherein,

the portion of the periphery of the displacement is plastically deformed without being sheared through the thickness dimension of the sheet of material.

55. The sheet of material as defined in claim 46 wherein,

the portion of the periphery of the displacement includes a reinforcing rib extending in a direction opposed to the direction of displacement.

56. The sheet of material as defined in claim 46 wherein,

the displacement slopes upwardly from a maximum depth at the portion of the periphery to the plane of the sheet of material in a direction away from the bend line.

57. The sheet of material as defined in claim 46 wherein,

the displacement is an area displaced by substantially the same thickness dimension over the entire area.

58. The sheet of material as defined in claim 48 wherein,

the sheet of material is bent along the bend line.

59. The sheet of material as defined in claim 58 wherein,

the sheet of material is bent in the direction of the displacement.

60. The sheet of material as defined in claim 58 wherein,

the sheet of material is bent in a direction opposed to the direction of the displacement.

61. The sheet of material as defined in claim 54 wherein,

the sheet of material is bent along the bend line.

62. The sheet of material as defined in claim 46, and

a continuous layer of coating material adhered to at least one surface on the sheet of material after the displacement is formed.

63. The sheet of material as defined in claim 62 wherein,

the sheet of material is bent along the bend line without fracturing the continuous layer of coating material.

64. The sheet of material as defined in claim 58, and

a shin guard secured to the bent sheet of material and extending across the bend line.

65. The sheet of material as defined in claim 46 wherein,

the displacement is longitudinally adjacent to the portion of the periphery.